Melody of a Rainy Summer Afternoon
by Melodywind
Summary: AU Minako x Yaten A gloomy day inspired her composition as a gift to her friend, but the gift was never received. One difference on the postal code, and the music arrived at his door. Coincidence, fated? This is no accident. A tale started from a simple m
1. Chapter 1: 60012

**_Working Title_: Melody of a Summer Rainy Afternoon**

_Dedicated to the ever so elegant guardian of planet Neptune_

_By Melody Wind _

_(Special thanks to a friend for the pen name, you know who you are…)_

Summary: A gloomy day inspired her composition as a gift for friend, but the gift was never received. One difference on the postal code, and the music arrived at his door. Coincidence, fated? This is no accident. A tale started from a simple mistake on the mailing address. Pairings: Minako x Yaten :D

Disclaimer: Owning Sailor Moon? One day when I invent the time machine, then yeah… But, I do own the plot…

"…" indicates conversation, italics indicate thoughts

Author's Notes: This story is completely AU, the inspiration was quite random. (The idea came to me when I was listening to "Eternal Snow" from Full Moon wo Sagashite.) It's not really intended for a fan fiction when I first wrote it, (and all my characters were named after a Greek god/goddess…sounds a bit pathetic, isn't it?) but I adored the Minako x Yaten pairing since like forever. It could really work on any of the "traditional" starlight pairing also. And I know that some of the characters are pretty out of their character, (not that I ever expect Minako turned out to be an excellent violinist and is the childhood friend of Michiru), but then again the story was not intended to be a fan fiction originally. Now, on with the story…

- Wind

_**Chapter I: **__**60012**_

* * *

_The day is so gloomy. Rainy days always bring people's mood down,_ Minako thought dully and looked up from her laptop. She was in no mood to finish her boring English report on the history of Nigeria. Trying to calm herself down, Minako picked up her violin nearby and began playing a few notes. The violin had always been her favorite instrument since she started playing when she was six years old. After all, it was said to be "the saddest instrument", so it suits her well. She has two personalities. Most people only know her by her happy and outgoing side. But most of time, she acts like that to hide her lonely and depressed side. 

The few notes started out well. As she continued to play, the notes became a part of a new composition. It had been a long time since her last composition, so she quickly wrote down what she just played. After a few tries, she was finally satisfied with the 5 lines of music.

_Such a nice calming melody, I like it._ She played the melody over and over again. But then a thought came to her mind: her famous violin friend's birthday was coming up. This melody was perfect for a birthday present, even though it's a little short. She was sure that the musician would be thrilled to see her composing again, and they would continue the piece together. _This is perfect! _She smiled faintly and went to get an envelope.

After copying the composition, she decided to write a note for once. Her friend is used to her sending mysterious little composition without a note all the time, but this is a birthday present. It's special. She began typing.

"_Dear Kaiou-san,_

_Surprised to find a note within this little piece of music? I know I'm not a "note person", but since this is for your birthday, this is special. Hope you like it, we should finish it together. Hopefully it won't be one of those many pieces that were never finished._

_Wishing you a Happy Birthday, see you on Saturday at the party!_

_Regards,_

_A."_

Minako grinned as she finished the note. She's a person who like things to be mysterious, but this note would be an exception because of the special occasion. Still, she left many things out as usual, like her name for instance. Minako deliberately put down her return address and then wrote her friend's address at the bottom. As clumsy as usual, she did not notice that instead of "10012" for the postal code, she wrote "60012". She hastily put the things together. Never having the habit of checking her work, Minako went out and mailed her music.

As Minako once again set in front of her laptop, she stared at the sky. It had stopped raining a while ago; the sun was shining brightly with few clouds passing by. She smiled and went back to her research paper on the history of Nigeria.

* * *

"Yo, Yaten-kun, the mail guy just came by! Go pick up the mail!" Seiya called out from his bedroom. 

"I know! For god's sake, you sound like my mother! And come on, it's Saturday! Can't I get any more beauty sleep?" Yaten sighed and got off the couch. _Why do I have to go get the stupid mail anyway? _Yaten thought unhappily as he glanced around. He lived with his two cousins. Taiki was always on his laptop; after all he was the Mr. Know-it-all. And as for Seiya, who knows what he's always doing inside that dark bedroom of his?

Yaten slowly got out of their apartment and opened their mailbox. As usual, a stack of envelopes fell out. Yaten sighed again. _It's all those fan mail again. Thank god the mail man organized them for us. _Yaten and his two cousins belonged to a popular band named the "Three Lights". The number of fan mail they receive everyday can stack up to half a room. The ones they usually receive at the mail are probably from those fan girls who stalked god knows how many people and got their private address.

Yaten went through the stack that was labeled "regular mails" as he walked back to the apartment. _Bills, statements, loan offers, ads, are there any other things that can be mailed besides all these today? _Yaten stopped at one of the mail though. It was addressed to a Kaiou-san, but there's definitely no one named Kaiou in his apartment. He checked the mailing address, and realized that the postal code was right, but the city was way far from where they lived. _I guess the post office today only look at the postal code. Well, the street name was the same as ours. What a coincidence._ Yaten chuckled at the post office's mistake and was ready to throw the envelope back in the return box. Then he noticed a few words on the envelope other than the addresses:

"_Melody of a rainy summer afternoon"_

Beside that line, there was a smiley face. _It's from a girl alright. Well, since this is music inside, I wonder if I should go ahead and open it? _Yaten debated with himself for a few seconds, and he went on and opened the envelope. Before he could read anything, Taiki's voice came up.

"Yaten-kun, what took you so long? Too much fan mail to handle?"

"Not really, but there's a wrong address." Yaten answered while reading the little note that came with the music composition.

"Put it in the return box then" Taiki didn't look up from his very scientific article.

"Don't want to." Yaten grinned and picked up his guitar ready to try this little piece of music. Then he saw in the top left corner that marked "Violin"; he silently cussed.

Taiki looked up momentarily and raised an eyebrow at his cousin's answer, "Why not?"

"It's a music piece; I was going to play it. But too bad it was for violin; guess this girl is a violin player." Yaten tossed the opened envelope to Taiki.

Taiki took the envelope and scanned the piece, "Well, it's not that hard to play a violin when you know how to play other instruments. Hey, try it on the keyboard, they usually make sense. But still, you really shouldn't't open the note; it said that it was for someone's birthday."

"Exactly, it said that the party was Saturday, meaning it's today. So whether I open this thing or not, it's not going to matter anyway." Yaten got his keyboard and ready to try the music.

"Wait, it's to a Kaiou-san? As in Michiru Kaiou, the famous violin player?" Taiki took notice of the famous last name.

Yaten looked up for a brief moment and shrugged, "Dunno, maybe."

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud "bang", which is the "famous" sound Seiya made for tripping in front of his room for the hundredth time. Taiki shook his head while Yaten laughed.

"Hey, Seiya-baka, ever going to learn how to walk?"

"Shut up, Yaten-baka! Can't you see that I was distracted?" Seiya pulled out the same excuse he had used for the twentieth time now.

"Right-" Both Taiki and Yaten rolled their eyes and went back to their previous topic.

"So, whatcha talking about?" Seiya interrupted and noticed the open envelope.

"Discussing why Yaten-kun just opened a note that was sent to the wrong address just because it contained a piece of music inside, and not to mention it was also a birthday present." Taiki had lost interest in the conversation and decided to go back to his very scientific article, which was much more interesting than some composition, at least to him.

The little piece of note was picked up a third time. Seiya's expression was changed from mere curiosity to a grin.

"Hey, you know what, Yaten-kun? You should pick up where she left off." The mischievous grin still hasn't left Seiya' face.

Yaten glared at his cousin, but said nothing. The song itself was a beautiful piece of work. He could feel the sense of sadness and loneliness. Yaten played the tune for the twentieth time; he fell for these mere five lines. Suddenly, more music notes floated in his head, he plucked a pen and was instantly absorbed in the continuation of the melody.

It was an hour later till he was completely satisfied with his work. Stretching, Yaten looked around the apartment, finding both of his cousins absent. He didn't want them to know about his interest in those mere five-line violin music, and not to mention the endless of teasing from Seiya. He looked for a name of this girl, but on the return address, there was only an M. Aino. _Well, this Aino-san sure is mysterious._ Yaten chuckled, in his own strange ways of writing notes, he weaved a little poem.

Yaten mailed the note early next morning; he chuckled softly as he returned to his home base._ I wonder how this Aino-san going to react.

* * *

_

The elegant violin melody rang through Minako's ears as she entered the front door of her friend's mansion. _Ah, another great collection of Kaiou-san. I wonder how she got such great taste. _Minako sat down on a nearby armchair thoughtfully. She wondered if her friend had received her composition yet. As she spotted Michiru Kaiou, who was absorbed in a conversion with a fellow musician, she decided that she would go join her friend later. Minako went to the refreshment table and grabbed a drink. She sat down again on the same armchair and was instantly absorbed into Michiru's "special" selection of her own compositions.

"Deep thoughts?" Minako followed the voice as she saw Michiru emerge and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, just enjoying you newest collection." Minako smiled and hugged her childhood friend.

"Yes, they are actually a birthday gift from Setsuna-san. I have to say, her taste beats mine." She smiled faintly and pointed out their cello friend from a group of people.

"Oh, and by the way, did you receive anything by mail from me recently?" Minako grinned, hinting.

Of course Michiru got the hint, but she frowned and tried to recall her friend's birthday present. But she never received anything.

"Guess the mail people are late with your present." Michiru replied after she spent a few minutes recalling all her mails in the past week.

Minako frowned; she mailed her letter last Monday. Even if the post office are slow these days, the letter should definitely make it by now. _Guess my clumsy nature did something again, s_he sighed.

Michiru, watching her friend going through her process of reasoning, understood perfectly what had possibly happened to her gift. After all, after 10 years of acquaintanceship, it is not like Michiru hasn't encountered any incidents involving Minako's clumsiness.

"Hey, why don't you give me a copy after the party?" Michiru took Minako's hands into her own and smiled warmly.

Minako nodded gratefully. They exchanged some more conversations, mostly about their life and music. After Michiru walked away to welcome some new arrivals, Minako sank down in the armchair and thought furiously, _How could I got Michiru-chan's address wrong? Ugh, I hate it every time when something always turned out wrong whenever I have a brilliant plan. But most importantly, WHERE IS THAT LETTER?_

_- Fin -

* * *

_

Preview to Chapter II: A Poem?

As Minako carelessly yanked her mailbox open, a single letter fell out. She bent down and grabbed it. She glanced at the addresses and was utterly surprised at the content of the envelope. The sender shared the same street name with Michiru, but the city was far from where she lived. Minako glanced at the postal code of the sender and she instantly recognized her mistake. _Impossible, I can't believe the receiver actually sent in a reply, or maybe they are just kind enough to resent my letter back in another envelope. _Minako ripped open the envelope, half expecting her own unopened letter. She stared at the contents of the letter, speechless…

* * *

Author's Note: First, I want to thank all of you to have the sympathy to read my story. -bow- Please excuse any of my grammar mistakes and fragments, never been good at grammar and never liked grammar. Hope you enjoyed the story. Comments and Reviews are always appreciated. :) And thanks to all the friends that helped me with the grammar, you know who you are. (Ugh, grammar…) And Hayley, you are still going to be the first one to read my next chapter! (I'll force you if needed…no, just kidding)

Now I get to study for a test on Agriculture that I know absolutely NOTHING about… oh joy…

- Wind


	2. Chapter 2: A Poem?

**Melody of a Summer Rainy Afternoon**

_Dedicated to the ever so elegant guardian of planet Neptune_

_By Melody Wind _

_(Special thanks to a friend for the penname, you know who you are…)_

Summary: A gloomy day inspired her composition as a gift to her friend, but the gift was never received. One difference on the postal code, and the music arrived at his door. Coincidence, fated? This is no accident. A tale started from a simple mistake on the mailing address. Minako x Yaten

Disclaimer: I do not know which U.S. law I have to memorize than recite, but I do not own Sailor Moon, and I do own the plot since it was not intended for a fan fiction in the first place.

"…" indicates conversation, italics indicate thoughts

Author's Note: Presenting Chapter 2, I hope I didn't let all my readers wait too long… Enjoy! And thanks to all those who added my story to their favorites or alert list :) Now replies to the reviewers:

GoldenHair: Thank you. Yes, I plan to develop the friendship between Minako and Michiru more in the later chapter. I thought it would be a unique pair among fan fictions. Hope you enjoy Chapter 2.

Cristalluna: Thanks so much, I'm flattered by your comment. ;) I was a little worried at first that this story would turn out all boring and every one will fall asleep reading it. I think the two personalities of Minako will be further described in Chapter 3. Hope you enjoy this chapter:)

- Wind

* * *

_**Chapter II**__**：**__**A Poem?**_

_From the Previous Chapter:_

_Minako nodded gratefully. They exchanged some more conversations, mostly about their life and music. After Michiru walked away to welcome some new arrivals, Minako sank down in the armchair and thought frustratingly, 'How could I got Michiru's address wrong? Ugh, I hated it every time when something always turned out wrong whenever I have a brilliant plan. But most importantly, WHERE IS THAT LETTER?'

* * *

_

Minako abruptly pushed her front yard door open. _Ugh, I hate Mondays. Why do I have to write a play about my boring school life? And not to mention the private school entrance exam my parents are forcing me to take, my school is already the second best in the city. _She mumbled some more complaints under her breath as she walked pass the front yard, nearly tripping over some violets.

As she entered the front door, Minako heard her mother asking her to pick up the mail. She groaned.

"Ugh, mom, why can't you tell me that when you saw me at the front yard?"

Her mother said something back, but Minako was already out of the door.

As Minako carelessly yanked her mailbox open, a single letter fell out. She bent down and grabbed it. She glanced at the address and was utterly surprised by it. The sender shared the same street name with Michiru-san, but the city was far from where she lived. Minako glanced at the postal code of the sender and instantly recognized her mistake of her last letter. _Impossible, I can't believe the receiver actually sent in a reply, or maybe they are just kind enough to resent my letter back in another envelope._ Minako ripped open the envelope, half expecting her own unopened letter. She stared at the contents, speechless…

Her eyes nearly popped out when she saw her mere 5 lines of composition were now extended to a page and half, with a few grace notes added to her original composition. Minako emptied the envelope as a note fell out. She saw a poem:

_An ever lasting melody of sorrow,_

_Though the pain clasped in beauty,_

_Just a few notes are your's to borrow,_

_Though more emotion than one can see._

_Different and yet quite the same,_

_A song of the ages for only few,_

_A piece that only one could ever tame,_

_And an accidental gift for you._

(A/N: Hayley, thanks so much for the poem:D That was one huge headache you got rid off for me.)

She was interrupted by her mother, who just came out to check out the vegetables in the garden.

"Too much mail to handle?"

"No," Minako gathered the rest of the mail and rushed back to the house. She didn't even bother to greet the rest of family and went straight to her room.

She took out her violin and played the revised music sheet. _Who ever wrote this understood my feeling! _Minako was shocked at the sender's great talent. As she read the poem again, she was sure that the sender was a guy. _Wow, I feel like he's my best friend who can actually understand my feelings. Yet I don't even know him__！_

Minako sighed and sank into her chair. She was excited that she met a great musician through a simple mistake, but she was unsure of what to do. _Should I reply to him? The composition is still unfinished; maybe we could finish it together... But I can't ask a stranger to finish my composition just because he has a great talent. He is so good though, especially at grace notes. _Minako let out a frustrated sigh. For once in her life, she has trouble making a decision.

As Minako played the melody again, she felt that the composer ended the music there with an intention of continuation. _Could he?_ Minako shrugged and pulled out a pen.

Three hours later, Minako sealed her envelope. She carefully wrote down the address and double checked to make sure that she didn't make another careless mistake. As she passed through the kitchen, her mother stopped her.

"Where are you going dear?"

"Oh, just to mail out this letter."

"To whom?" her mother asked curiously as she wiped her hands on a towel.

"Just a friend" Minako didn't want her mother to get worried with all these commotion. After all, she didn't even really know the identity of this guy.

"Well dear, be sure to grab a coat, and be back as soon as possible, ok? Don't forget that this is a school night." Her mother smiled sweetly as she left the kitchen.

After Minako stepped out, her older sister Haruka stepped in to the living room. Just like Minako, Haruka shared her mysterious personality. She grinned as she walked toward her parents.

"It's about a guy alright."

"You think?" her mother smiled.

"Well, even though she said that she wasn't interested in romance. This is definitely about a guy, whether romantically or not." Haruka nodded with confidence.

Her father shook his head. _Guess my little one is stepping onto the road of romance after all. _He chuckled as he glanced at his wife and eldest daughter, who were predicting what kind of guy would catch the attention of their little Minako. _Nosy, aren't we?_

"And now the latest shocking news from the music industry: the lead singer of popular band the "Three Lights", Seiya Kou, has confirmed that they are once again moving due to large amount of unintentional problem caused by fans. Their current location remains unknown. Now switching to Hollywood…"

The TV of the Aino household was still turned on, except nobody was really paying attention.

* * *

"WE'RE MOVING???" Yaten was sure that half of the town had heard his yelling, but he didn't care. 

"Yes Yaten-kun, and honestly you don't have to yell. It's not like we haven't moved for like ten times now, whether because of our careers or all the problems with the fans." Taiki closed his eyes.

"But-" Yaten tried to argue, but he was interrupted by Seiya.

"But what?"

"Nothing" Yaten surrendered. He understood their reason for moving, but there was something else on his mind. _That girl! How can I communicate with her when I'm no longer here! _Yaten was in deep thoughts, and he didn't hear what Seiya was yelling at him. _Wait, I don't even know whether she will write back to me or not. _Yaten sighed, but he was interrupted by Seiya.

"Yo, Yaten-kun, where are you? Come back with us!" Seiya waved his hands in front of Hermes.

"What do you want?" Yaten answered abruptly a minute later, finally coming back from his own little world.

"Be nice, will ya? Taiki-kun and I were wondering what kind of pizza you want for dinner-"

"Hey, what's our new address?" Yaten ignored Seiya' question and asked no one in particular.

"Um, will ya answer my question first?" Seiya pretended to sound hurt, except Yaten wasn't paying attention at all. His mind is far away from where his physical body is sitting.

"Here," Taiki handed Yaten a piece of paper, "this is a print-out of the email our manager sent me concerning about our new living quarters."

Yaten' eyes widened at the address. _This...is her city. Is this destiny? Am I really going to meet her in person? I sure hope so…_

"Er, Yaten-kun? Are you ever going to answer my question so we won't starve to death? Or I'll just go ahead and order mine…" Seiya made one last attempt.

"Pepperoni" Yaten didn't even look up. _Well, Aino-san, Guess we'll meet each other in person sooner or later.

* * *

_

**Verification Letter**

**December 17 **

"Dear Aino-san,

Your Registration Application for the Independent School Entrance Exam has been processed. **This letter is your admission ticket to the test site. Please bring it with you when you report for testing. **You should also bring four number two pencils and two blue or black ballpoint pens. The pens are for your essay. Do not bring cell phones or beepers to the examination. The use of any electronic device during the exam or during the breaks will invalidate the test and you will be dismissed from testing.

Please take a few minutes to verify all the information listed below. If you find an error, please call the ISEE Operations Office immediately. The number is 1-800-446-0320 or 1-919-956-8524.

Your Identification Number is either your Social Security Number or an ID number that has been assigned to you. Please keep a record of this number for future reference.

Identification Number: **899-10-1125**

Registration Number: **451359**

Name: **Minako Aino**

Phone: **156-536-9785**

Birth Date: **April 16**

Grade Applying for: **11**

Sex: **F**

Test Site: **University Academy of Elysion**

Test Date: **1/26** Test Time: **9:00AM** Check-in:** 8:00AM**

Reports will be sent to following Schools/Consultants:

1. **527134 ****University Academy of Elysion**

"NO!!!" Minako's scream was heard throughout the entire neighborhood, several neighboring dogs growled.

"Ugh! I seriously think someone up there is against me!"

Her mother passed by. Hearing her daughter's complaint, she simply chuckled and shook her head.

* * *

"WE WHAT???" Yaten and Seiya screamed on top of their lungs. Taiki shook his head. _They are always like this. Come on, it's just a dumb entrance exam, and yet it doesn't surprise me that they would freak out like this._

"Guys, this is the best private school in the city, a little entrance exam won't be too much to handle." Taiki adjusted his glasses.

"Are you kidding me? First we are moving on the wrong date, now we are being forced to take an entrance exam? Is someone up there against me or something?" Yaten complained.

"I have to agree with Yaten-kun on this one. What's with all these crap?" Seiya crossed his arms and stood next to Yaten.

"You two are hopeless." Taiki shook his head again and walked out of the airport by himself.

Yaten sighed; he walked out of the airport building and looked around. _This city isn't that bad. So far I haven't seen any house around here that aren't mansions. Man, these people sure are rich. Well… so are we. Taiki-kun did tell me that this is only the rich part of the city, and only this area goes by the postal code that girl had. I wonder if she lives around here._

The limo pulled up in front of his mansion, Yaten stepped out and looked around. The mansion, like every other one in the neighborhood, is very luxury and has a very unique design. _Ah, this is definitely Taiki-kun's design. _Yaten smirked and started to walk in. He paused and turned around; Yaten whispered a few words to the driver and got in the limo again.

Ten minutes later, the same limo pulled up at the local post office. Yaten stepped out and held a piece of paper.

"Yes, I want to forward some mail from this address to my new house address…"

"No, not everything, just this name…"

"I think 'Aino' is a last name…yes…anything that contains an M or Aino, please forward them to this address…"

_Ugh, what's the matter with the post office? It took me a good twenty minutes to explain my request. At least now I can still get this Aino-san's music if she sent it back to me. Man, why am I this obsessed? _Yaten shook his head and walked to his limo.

* * *

_Why am I even here?_ Minako dragged herself into the building of the University Academy of Elysion. She glanced around the school building. The lobby was filled with students wearing different junior high school uniforms; it made her feel very out of place. _This is so awkward! Why did my parents have to pick a school that offers 12 different grade levels?_ Minako saw her parents engaging in an exciting conversation with the director of the admission; she wandered off and found a list of test takers. 

_Might as well._ Minako shrugged and walked up to the bulletin. She spotted her name in an instant and checked her room number. She then went down and scanned the names of other test takers in her grade level. There are three other students, and they all shared the same last name. Minako stopped at the name in the middle and pondered. _Yaten Kou? That sounds so familiar… Wait, isn't the person who sent me the music named Y. Kou? Could he possibly…_Minako could feel excitement rushing to her, but she shook off the idea seconds later. _That's impossible. Why would he move from such a faraway place to here? Plus, that "Y" doesn't necessarily stand for Yaten. _Athena chuckled at her wild thoughts and turned around to find her parents, just as three figures emerged into the building.

_- Fin -

* * *

_

Preview to Chapter III: Independent School Entrance Exam

"Aino!"

Yaten turned to his full attention as he saw a long haired girl walk up and picks up her test paper. _Could she be the one? The name matches, and she is supposed to live in this city, this area especially… should I introduce myself?_ Yaten shook his head to concentrate on the test instead of the mysterious girl named M. Aino.

As the test went on, Yaten could not stop himself from looking over at the spot where this Minako Aino was sitting. _I'm really sure that this is her. The name matches, and she was a little surprised by my name. I mean, unless she is a "Three Lights" fan, why would a normal person pause at a name such as mine? Plus, she seems to be the type to be interested in playing violin. Well, now the big question is, shall I tell her?

* * *

_

Author's Notes: Yes! Chapter two is done! This chapter mainly developed more on the main plot. I don't really know why I put Haruka as Minako's sister; I guess she is just one of the sailor senshi that would appear more like a sister to Minako. shrug I plan to explore more about the two personalities of Minako and her childhood friendship with Michiru. And should I add in another best friend? (I could just use Michiru, but this story lacks a reasonable cast size…) Well, tell me what you think. Comments and reviews are always appreciated. And thanks again for all the friends that helped me with the development of the story, esp. Hayley, thanks for the poem again, and Nathania, thanks for all the grammar corrections, this story won't exist without you. :P

- Wind


	3. Chapter 3: ISEE

**Melody of a Summer Rainy Afternoon**

_Dedicated to the ever so elegant guardian of planet Neptune_

_By Melody Wind _

Summary: A gloomy day inspired her composition as a gift to her friend, but the gift was never received. One difference on the postal code, and the music arrived at his door. Coincidence, or fate? This is no accident. A tale started from a simple mistake on the mailing address.

"..." indicates conversation, italics indicate thoughts

-- Author's Note --

I sincerely apologize about the belated chapter, but however, there's always school work and my brain-freeze periods. I had a hard time writing this chapter since I didn't plan much plot in this chapter. However, many of the details were done with special intentions for further plot of the story, so they cannot be easily ignored. As promised to someone wink, Minako's two personalities were further explained in this chapter. Hopefully, the next chapters will come out sooner since I have more plots planned. But until that time, please enjoy Chapter 3! )

- Wind

Some replies to the reviewers:

cristalluna: Thanx a lot for all the encouragement! And sorry about not updating for a while, but the next chapters will come out soon since school will be out in a week for me! I made Minako rele rich in this story since it's easier to set up a meeting b/t her and Yaten And as for the best friend role... currently my #1 candidate is Usagi mainly bc of her personality, but it's not final yet. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!

Kinsei-Hime: Glad you liked the story! so excited Hope you enjoy this chapter too!

Joyce: I promised myself to finish this story even though I'm writing some other fictions too, so hope you'll enjoy the rest of the story. And same here, a big Yaten x Minako fan!

GoldenHair: Yeah, I saw that error, and I'll change it soon! I intended to have Minako to have a calmer personality in this story, and a nicer Yaten too. ;) And since this is AU, anything can happen, that's why I enjoy writing AU a lot...

Angelical Lady: Glad you liked the story! And I love ur Yaten x Minako stories a lot too! There are more Michiru x Mianko friendship moments in this chapter, but I think she might not appear for a while since I'm rooting for a more hyper character to be Minako's companion at her new school. But she'll appear again, perhaps this time w/ Haruka? ; Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**_Chapter III: Independent School Entrance Exam_**

* * *

_From the Previous Chapter:_

'_Might as well.'_ Minako shrugged and walked up to the bulletin. She spotted her name at an instant and checked her room number. She then went down and scanned the names of other test takers in her grade level. There are three other students, and they all shared the same last name. Athena stopped at the name in the middle and pondered. '_Yaten Kou? That sounds so familiar... Wait, isn't the person who sent me the music Y. Kou? Could he possibly...'_ Athena could feel excitement rushing to her, but she shook off the idea seconds later. '_Masaka. Why would he move from such a faraway place to here? Plus, that "Y" doesn't necessarily stand for Yaten.' _Minako chuckled at her wild thoughts and turned around to find her parents as three figures emerged into the building.

* * *

"Seiya no baka, STOP!!" Yaten shouted out his barely comprehensible sentence as his cousin hit the brake fairly hard and stopped inches away from a passing woman.

Taiki looked up momentarily to see what all the commotion was about. He shook his head and went back to his book about quantum physics as Seiya got back in the car after apologizing to the lady.

It was ten minutes later that Seiya has finally found a parking spot, and the three quickly rushed into the building. Seiya, of course, had to trip over the front door, a mess he makes wherever he goes.

As Yaten looked around, he almost bumped into a girl passing by. He suddenly felt that he knew this girl from somewhere. He tried to get a better look of this girl, but unfortunately she was in a rush also and disappeared within seconds. _Geez, why did I feel like that I know this girl from somewhere? But that's impossible! I've only been here for three days! _Troubled, Yaten tried to find a reasonable answer for his sudden reaction.

"Why am I getting psyched all of a sudden?" Yaten murmured to himself, unfortunately for him, Seiya caught that.

"You are getting psyched? Are you sure that you just didn't wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Seiya teased and tried not to choke on his own joke.

"Be quiet, Seiya-baka! Bad joke! Go and register for us. After all, you were the one who got us late in the first place!" Yaten glared at his cousin and walked up the stairs.

(A/N: Taiki was kinda left out in that section... isn't he?)

* * *

The test room was filled with eighth graders, and it made the few upperclassmen in the room quite uncomfortable. Yaten looked out the window; thoughts tangled within him. _Ugh, why do I get to be alone in this room filled with eighth graders? That Seiya no baka is lucky to have Taiki-kun company. I wonder if there's anyone I can talk to around._

Yaten looked around the room, and a long-haired girl caught his gaze. Her maturity gave away her grade-level easily. She stared out the window peacefully, but there seemed to be something else on her mind. Her eyes gave away the sadness that she keeps inside herself. The wind was blowing her flowing long hair at the perfect angle, Yaten stared at her. _Wait a minute! She is the same girl whom I almost run into at the lobby. _Hermes's eyes widened at the sudden recognition. At the same time, the girl turned toward his direction, her bright amethysts orbs met his own green ones.

Yaten's head went blank; he didn't know what to do. But as the girl smiled friendly to him, he nodded back.

"Don't want to be here too?" Yaten smirked.

The girl smiled faintly and sighed.

"We're left out from the conversation, aren't we?" She laughed and motioned to the exciting conversation the majorities in the room were participating in.

Yaten agreed. They barely continued the conversation for a few more minutes before both of them fell silent. The girl gazed out the window again; her quiet nature interested Hermes. It reminded him of that music piece that Aino-san had composed. He had received more composition from her earlier that day, he was glad that she's still interested in continuing that beautiful, yet sad melody. _Her quiet nature fits that beautiful tune quite well._ Yaten glanced at the girl's direction; he was fascinated by the image. _A girl staring out of the window on a clear morning with the wind blowing her long hair at the perfect angle, a perfect image for that music piece!_ Hermes subconsciously pulled out his pen and wrote down some of the music notes that came to his mind.

His work was disrupted few minutes later as the proctor walked into the room. Yaten sighed and found a perfect place to stop. He put away the music sheets and looked up; the girl was looking at him again. When she realized that she had caught his attention, she smiled.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name earlier." She whispered.

"Yaten Kou." He extended his hand; the girl looked visibly surprised at his identity.

"Minako Aino." She smiled back as Yaten's eyes widened.

* * *

"Aino-san!"

Yaten turned his full attention to the girl as he saw she walked up to pick up her test paper. _Could she be the one? The last name matches, and she's supposed to live in this city, this area especially..._ Yaten shook his head to concentrate on the test instead of the mysterious girl named M. Aino.

As the test went on, Hermes could not stop himself from looking over at the spot where Minako Aino was sitting. _I'm sure that this is her. The name matches, and she was a little surprised by my name. I mean, unless she's a "Three Lights" fan, why would a normal person pause at a name such as mine? Plus, she seems to be the type to be interested in playing violin... But the question is, shall I tell her?_

* * *

Minako walked out of the school building warily. The test was not hard at all, but three hours of continuous focus made her a bit tired. As she walked out of the front gate of University Academy of Elysion, she turned and stared at the beautiful glass building one more time. _I hope this will be my new hideout next year; it's a nice school after all._ She smiled and stepped into the Aino family car.

"Ah, first day of summer, how exciting!" Haruka stretched as Minako stepped into the car.

"Thanks for coming along, Onii-chan!" Minako smiled again, sounding sarcastic but with no ill-will.

"Yeah, yeah... I'm just glad that it's finally summer! So what are your plans?" Haruka looked back at her sister from the front-row passenger seat.

"I don't think I have any... besides that internship I got at University of T and some community service, but they're just for college. I plan to relax this summer before the "year of horror" starts..." Minako sighed, not really excited about the coming school year.

"Well, I couldn't agree more. I can still remember my junior and senior year; it felt like that I didn't sleep for 2 whole years... Glad that's over for me." Haruka yawned and winked at her sister.

"Jeez thanks for the warning, sis. Oh and not to mention that since you are accepted into Harvard, now I got even more expectations from the teachers, the parents, and even my friends..." Minako grumbled at the new pressure on her, though she was quite proud of her sister.

"I noticed that you have been very busy on something else lately besides your usual hobbies, Minako-chan." Haruka decided to change the topic.

"Yeah, but it's not really anything new." Minako smiled at the mention of her new project, which she called "Silent Confession".

"So, are you interested in getting a boyfriend over the summer?" Haruka teased as they started to enter the Aino property.

"Stop teasing, sis. You know that I have absolutely zero interest in romance... and by the way, why are you in the valet's seat?" Minako grumbled her usual reply to her sister's usual teasing.

"Well since I sneaked out of the house as the valet, I'll have to act as one." Haruka got out of the car and opened the door for her little sister.

"Playful, aren't we?" Minako smiled as her sister winked.

* * *

"So you are currently working on a music project with someone else?" Michiru asked as she took the teacup that Minako handed her.

"Yep! It's one mysterious project, but I guarantee that you'll be amazed by the final product." Minako smiled brightly. She had invited Michiru over on the second week of summer to help her figure out her plans for music training during the summer. But as clumsy as ever, she accidentally revealed the little secret she was keeping from everyone. However, Minako has no intention to reveal her secret to anyone just yet. For the mysterious "Y. Kou" and she have been working on the music piece for a while now, and they had started to form a friendship more than simply music peers.

"Fascinating! I can' wait to see it when it's done." Michiru smiled sweetly, "and you know Minako-san, you seem to be a lot happier these days. I haven't seen that depressed face for a while now."

"Really?" Minako smiled also. _That's still a lie... The only reason that I'm a lot more chipper recently was because of the music piece I've been diligently working on, and maybe the fact that I have a big chance to get out of my boring high school. But nothing inside me has changed at all..._

"Yes, perhaps new chance of romance sparkled?" Michiru hinted.

"Goodness, why does everyone keep asking me about romance?" Athena's head was about to explode at the mention of romance yet again. "Do I have to stand on the top of Tokyo Tower and yell to the world that I'm so NOT interested in romance? I though you knew me well, Michiru-san..."

"Well, I was just a little worried about you still not getting over Adonis..." Michiru looked worried.

Minako's heart sank at the mention of the name, but she knew that the topic of Adonis will always come up. For he was her first love years ago; but she wasn't a bright child on the subject of love. She has truly fallen in love, but she ended the relationship with a simple reason: of that she didn't know how to love. And from that point forward, Minako stayed away from romance. She has decided that she will learn to fall in love when she's ready to face it.

"Don't worry about that anymore." Minako's smile disappeared as she turned around. She always hated to show her other personality in front of people, even if it's her best friend.

"Minako-san?" Michiru started again a few seconds later.

"Yeah?" When Minako turned around, all Michiru could see was a bright, cheery face. A mask that Minako constantly put on, Michiru didn't mind it even though she can see through that mask.

"How's that internship coming along?"

"Great!" Minako was relieved at the change of topic, and she was especially excited about the topic they've changed to. "So I get to work at this neat lab at U of Tokyo for over 6 weeks. It's in the chemistry department, so it'll be a great experience!"

"But aren't you really interested in the field of performing arts, Minako-san?" Michiru was a little confused.

"Oh, I still am! I just want to try everything, so I'll have a wider field to choose. And after all, dad is a doctor, so I've been curious about the field of science and medicine for a while now." Minako explained.

"Nice! So now you've exploded the field of music, graphic and web design, and science and medicine, huh? That's so neat!" Michiru smiled, very impressed with Minako's interests.

"And I'm keeping up with volleyball and fencing too!" Minako cheered, striking a V-sign, "Isn't that awesome?"

"Very, but... now we are getting back to work!" Michiru chuckled as she put out various music books and pieces.

"Yeah, yeah..." Minako sighed heavily.

* * *

June 15, 2008

To the Parents of:

Minako Aino

Your child has been selected for admission to 11th grade at University Academy of Elysion. The next step is yours. If you wish to enroll your child in this academy, you must complete and return this form to our admission office no later than 5:30pm on Friday, June 27. Please complete the section below and return the entire form to:

ADMISSION OFFICE

University Academy of Elysion

2000 Lethe Street

Yes, we are pleased to accept the admission to University Academy of Elysion

No, we do not accept.

I am a legal resident of Kronos County and the legal guardian of this child.

Required Parent's Signature:

* * *

June 15, 2008

To the Parents of:

Seiya Kou, Yaten Kou, & Taiki Kou

Your child (ren) has been selected for admission to 11th grade at University Academy of Elysion. The next step is yours. If you wish to enroll your child (ren) in this academy, you must complete and return this form to our admission office no later than 5:30pm on Friday, June 27. Please complete the section below and return the entire form to:

ADMISSION OFFICE

University Academy of Elysion

2000 Lethe Street

Yes, we are pleased to accept the admission to University Academy of Elysion

No, we do not accept.

I am a legal resident of Kronos County and the legal guardian of this child.

Required Parent's Signature:

* * *

"Aino-san, here we are at the University Academy of Elysion." The valet announced as he opened the car door.

"Thanks, Jeff!" Minako stepped out of the car, straightening her brand new uniform.

"Good luck on your first day of school!" Haruka grinned and lazily waved from the passenger seat.

"Thanks, sis. And you too, good luck on your first day as a freshman of Harvard! Guess I won't see you in a while." Minako smiled back, but she was also a little sad to see her good old sis leaving for a good four months.

"Nah, don't be sad, koneko-chan! Have fun at school!" Haruka smiled brightly and motioned for Minako to enter the building.

Minako waved until she could no longer see her family car; she turned around to face the front gate of UEA and sighed. _Which me should I present at this new school? I still want to be that mysterious girl that everyone thinks that he/she knows me well but actually not, so guess I'll still have to wear the mask, huh?_

She looked up at the sky with few clouds that day and smiled faintly before entering the front gate.

* * *

"Err... Seiya-kun? In case you haven't noticed, there's an empty parking space right behind you." Yaten and Taiki said together in a very bored voice.

"Geez, guys! Why didn't you tell me earlier? So I wasted that good ten minutes for nothing." Seiya chuckled as the passengers in the car rolled their eyes.

"So, excited about new school year, guys?" Seiya asked, very excited as the three cousins got out of the car.

"Not really, I don't wanna know how many girls will be crazy around us anymore." Yaten grumbled.

"By the way, Yaten-kun? Are you working on some other project other than our new album?" Taiki looked up from his agenda book.

"What makes you think of that?" Yaten's heart skipped a beat, for him and Aino-san have agreed on hiding this secret project from both of their acquaintances. And for his own benefit, Yaten didn't want his two cousins to know the story, at least not yet.

"Well, I was just considering: if you're distracted by some other project, I could arrange more spare time for you since you look like you haven't slept in years, even though we just got back from summer vacation..." Taiki looked up, looking quite concerned.

"I appreciate the concern... but more spare time is a splendid idea." Yaten snickered at Taiki's remark, but he was thankful for his cousin's concern.

Before anymore words were said, the speaker buzzed.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to welcome you to a new school year here at University Academy of Elysion. I would like to especially welcome our additional members to UEA, and would all new members report to the south wing of the Main Hall? As for our returning students..."

Fin

* * *

_Preview to Chapter IV: Connected Feelings_

_ "Aino-san?" Yaten started, disbelieving his eyes as he saw the girl he met three months ago during the exam walking toward him._

_ "Nice to see you again, Kou-san." She smiled brightly and waved._

_ "Holy crap, Minako-chan! So you really knew the Yaten Kou from "Three Lights"? Incredible! You got to introduce me to them!" Yaten noticed the girl beside Minako getting excited at their conversation._

_ "I don't lie, Usagi-chan. And really, you can just introduce yourself. It's not that hard." Minako looked back at her friend really confused, not knowing why the usually outgoing Usagi would have trouble introducing herself, while Yaten couldn't stop himself from chuckling at the situation._

* * *

-- Author's Note --

As I stated earlier, loads of characterization of Minako here in this chapter as requested, hopefully this Minkao's character is well revealed. And a note to the plot of her past romance and the summer internship, they are not significant story plots, but I wrote them with an intention. I was also thinking about a possible side story about her past romance, and possibly, a special event that happens during the summer internship. So tell me if you want to see it. The preview of chapter 4 is not a final version; I'm hesitating on whether or not to introduce another major role in the story since Michiru could easily fit in that role. But then she's not really that suitable because of her personality, I was leaning toward an outgoing character. Again, tell me what you think. And I'm not sure whether Usagi should be the best friend or not since I kinda have her and Minako's personalities swapped... though then the Usagi x Seiya shipping could be my comic relief Reviews and comments are always loved, and esp. on the grammar and style, I'm still trying to improve.

Thanks to my proofreader, you are the best. P

- Wind

Word count: 2,619 (Chapter only)


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